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Incubate. Innovate. Accelerate.

April 2012

CLIENT COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

EnerWatch Systems, Inc.

EnerWatch Systems is an industry leader in real-time, web-based energy management/monitoring and visualization that enables building managers to reduce energy costs. The company institutes a remote proprietary monitoring system that gauges utility usage, temperature, humidity, air quality and more for commercial and residential properties.EnerWatch provides state-of-the-art utility and facility performance monitoring to a variety of different businesses that seek cost cutting measures by identifying potential energy risks, collecting data, analyzing the information, reporting it to customers, alerting customers, and advising cost saving solutions to help customers save money and increase revenue, while building a path of environmentally green practices.

With the assistance of the Macomb-OU INCubator, Dominic R. Pizzo, President of EnerWatch Systems, is on a mission to expand beyond a regional company. The direction of EnerWatch Systems is to be a national player in the energy and facility-performance sector. Along with the strategic alliance of a major utility company and Civionics, EnerWatch Systems is positioned to stay ahead of market trends and be a dominant player in the utility and facility-performance monitoring arena for years to come.

EnerWatch Systems priority is to cultivate a pro-active synergy between owner, facility management, and end-user via sustainable "green" practice to harness true energy optimization in order to reduce, control and measure energy within the facility. The range of business sectors include: commercial, multi-family, schools, government and food, among others.

Remote Proprietary Monitoring System

Dashboard with DTE Energy

Macy, Mac-OU INC Mascot/Resident Canadian Goose

We welcome back our first tenant client, Macy! Along with her life partner, Nordstrom, they have chosen to become anchor tenants of the Macomb-OU INCubator. This is even despite some foul play last year from our other guests at the incubator involving an angry goose and a scared individual wielding an umbrella! We are proud that Macy will be bringing more clients to our building late spring, and always look forward to Nordstrom honking from the roof as the Mac-OU INC staff heads inside for the day.

MAC-OU INC HAPPENINGS

2 of 10, LLC, Received Michigan Pre-Seed Micro-Loan

With the aid of the Macomb-OU INCubator, 2 of 10, LLC, has secured a Michigan Pre-Seed Micro-Loan from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for their new Constant Companion concealed weapons clothing line. 2 of 10, LLC, is a Michigan Limited Liability Company founded in 2009 by Brandon Trevino, for the purpose of research, development and commercialization of innovative concealed carry products for the Homeland Security, Defense and professional law enforcement market. After dozens of prototypes and years of testing, 2 of 10, LLC, has developed proprietary designs that allow the user to comfortably conceal a department-issued duty weapon and provide rapid access.

With the aid of the Macomb-OU INCubator, Green Flag Credit, LLC, has secured a Michigan Pre-Seed Micro-Loan through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for their B2B internet technology service platform, Green Flag 2.0. The focus of Green Flag Credit is to advance and accelerate online digital marketing capabilities for retailing motor vehicles.

Plastomer Lighting Technologies Receives $50,000 from the Business Accelerator Fund

Early March, the Macomb-Oakland University INCubator submitted an application on behalf of Plastomer Lighting Technologies (PLT) for a request of funds from the Business Accelerator Fund (BAF) from the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC). PLT, a Rochester, Michigan company, was awarded $50,000 in funding.

Please visit the following link to view the Macomb-OU INCubator's historic timeline, the most recent update to our website.

Michigan Growth Capital Symposium

The Michigan Growth Capital Symposium is known for attracting the best investors from across the U.S. and showcasing high-quality investable companies. In the past decade alone, over 300 companies have presented. Of those, 70 percent have raised capital totaling more than $1.7 billion in investments and more than 20 percent have realized successful exits.

Larry Herriman, Assistant Director, and Mike Brennan, Business Commercialization and Capital Investment Advisor, will be attending the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium on May 15-16 to support Mac-OU INC client, Coliant. Good luck!

Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest Business Plan Competition

The mission of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest (GLEQ), and its competition, is to continually encourage and educate entrepreneurs on the creation, start up, and early growth stages of high-growth businesses within the state of Michigan. This is accomplished by linking entrepreneurs pursuing high-growth opportunities with access to a statewide network of community resources, expert advice, high-quality education, management talent and capital at every stage of development.Mac-OU INC is sponsoring Envision and Logicoul for the upcoming GLEQ Business Plan Competition, taking place June 12. Good luck to both businesses!

Q&A with MAC-OU INC STAFF

Luke Cloutier, Oakland University Intern

Luke CloutierMedia/IT Coordinator Intern

Luke Cloutier is a senior at Oakland University, majoring in Communications and planning to graduate in the fall of 2012. In addition to contributing to numerous research projects for Mac-OU INC, Luke keeps up with Mac-OU INC news and events to be publicized through social media and the website, as well as the development of the website. For his 2012 internship project, Luke is researching small business funding that is offered at the State and Federal levels. This includes details on specific funds, how to obtain them, and the application process for small businesses.

Plans upon Graduation: "I plan on maintaining a career within social media networking and raising my family. I recently became a newlywed to my beautiful wife, Ashley, and we have a son, Easton, who is now four months old. I cannot wait to show him the world as he grows up."

Sarah Worsham is CEO and Web Strategist at Sazbean Consulting. She helps companies grow online by creating digital strategies based on customized analysis and achievement of business goals. She maintains a blog at Sazbean.com and contributes to Social Media Club Detroit, IgniteDetroit, FutureMidwest and TEDxDetroit.

Starting with a Computer Engineering degree from the University of Michigan, programming for large eCommerce sites (Eddie Bauer, 1-800-Flowers, Westerner Governors University), then managing operations and strategy for over 120 websites at a $120 million B2B media company, to an MBA in marketing and strategy from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, Worsham has built a repertoire for understanding the inner workings and intricacies of the internet.

Sarah Worsham

Kathy Ossian, Miller CanfieldLunch and Launch Series: Social Media: Protecting Your Brand and Other Legal ConsiderationsMay 31 12 p.m.-1 p.m.Kathy Ossian is a principal and leader of Miller Canfield's Information Technology Team, as well as deputy leader of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group. Her intellectual property and commercial litigation practice covers 23 years and includes extensive experience in negotiating and drafting software licensing agreements, distribution and maintenance and other information technology agreements, computer law, consulting clients in Internet law and intellectual property dispute resolution. She is a certified faculty member at the University of Phoenix teaching graduate level business law courses.

Ossian is listed in the Information Technology Law Section of The Best Lawyers in America, as well as Michigan Super Lawyers, in the Information Technology/Outsourcing Sections editions. She is a frequent speaker and has published several articles relating to her areas of practice.

Kathy Ossian

EVENT REVIEWS

Nikki LittleApril 5: Lunch and Launch Series: How to Fully Take Advantage of LinkedIn

Audience Reviews:

"Very informative, looking forward to updating my profile and utilizing LinkedIn more than I have been."

"Fantastic information shared in a clear and thoughtful manner."

"Very knowledgeable, organized and informative."

Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Bus TourApril 17

A special thanks to the MEDC for stopping on their bus at Mac-OU INC! For more information on the state services and funding opportunities available to growing technology companies, please visit:

Mycoskie
travels the country telling his TOMS story to high school and university
students, his most recent stop being Oakland University, with hopes of
inspiring some to create their own business, as well as making a change
they wish to see in the world. A beautiful storyteller, Mycoskie draws
the audience in, painting a complete picture of what it was like to
build the company, how people were immediately drawn to it because of
its mission, and how it feels to really 'start something that matters.' I
can guarantee that I was not the only one who had tears in my eyes
during the stories of gratitude the millions of people have given in
thanks for the shoes - that children can now attend school and that foot
diseases will diminish. Upon hearing his story, I was inspired to read his book.

"There is something different in the air these days: I feel it when I talk to business leaders, give speeches at high school and college campuses, and engage in conversation with fellow patrons at coffee shops. People are hungry for success - that's nothing new. What's changed is the definition of that success. Increasingly, the quest for success is not the same as the quest for status and money. The definition has broadened to include contributing something to the world and living and working on one's own terms," as written by Blake Mycoskie.

Blake Mycoskie's "Start Something that Matters" tells the story of TOMS: how the shoe company began with Mycoskie's trip to Argentina; how he learned about the world hunger for shoes; how great the impact is of living without shoes; and how he created his shoe model, one for one, in which one pair is donated for every pair sold. More importantly, though, this is a story for the entrepreneur in all of us; how people love a company with a story, how they are willing to support a company when a good story is the foundation, and how people care about an organization when the organization cares.

Mycoskie's goal used to be "to create a for-profit company that could help relieve the pain and suffering felt by children around the world who do not have shoes." Today, his goal has shifted, "to influence other people to go out into the world and have a positive impact, to inspire others to start something that matters, whether it's a for-profit business or a nonprofit organization."

Though this is a wonderful story, Mycoskie's enthusiasm for his work and mission simply cannot be contained between the pages of a book. Mycoskie's enthusiasm draws one in and brings the story to life. While the book is inspiring in its own way, it cannot compete with the story told by the TOMS founder in person.

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SPRING 2012
EVENTS

Lean Green Belt Certificate TrainingMay 1-June 28, 2012This program aims to educate business
professionals on the aspects of lean principles that can be applied to
their business internally in order to make their organization ready for
diversification.. Read More